All Eyes On Torquay Youth

Whilst our fight against relegation is taking all the headlines at the moment, this week is also a big week for the club because we find out whether or not the club will be granted it's Category 3 status under the Elite Player Performance Plan.

With manager Chris Hargreaves talking regularly about wanting the club to develop its own talent in the future, and nurture youngsters through to the first team, gaining Category 3 status would be a big thing for us to achieve and a good boost for us moving forward.

Speaking to the Official Site Hargreaves discussed how he wanted to build an ethos at the club and have a philosophy of playing style that went right through from our youngsters to the first team.

'We were the better passing side on Monday and that's what I want in the future. I want us to be a passing team and I want our Academy players to come through and be comfortable on the ball. We've got a big week with the EPPP decision about category three status, which means we can keep our youth policy the same. We want players who are desperate to put the shirt on for the local area, so we can produce good footballers.'

With Hargreaves having praised younger elements in our first team of late, he knows we have shown signs of the type of team he wants to turn us into and he knows it's difficult to bring players through from the Academy because it is such a step up, but he knows if we get the groundwork right and all levels play as one, that when we do have a talent coming through, at least they will be promoted playing their own game and that should help make the transition easier for them, and allow them to get a better foothold in a game and impress when called upon.